Global Golf Post, July 4, 2016

B native earned his sixth PGA Championship appearance by finishing in a tie for second A WINDING ROAD Obie Agbasi was born in Buffalo N Y about 170 miles west of where he made his PGA Professional Championship debut at Turning Stone Where life has taken the 44 year old in between is remarkable After moving to his fathers homeland of Nigeria at age 5 Agbasi played for the countrys national soccer and table tennis teams before moving back to the United States when he was 19 He didnt start playing golf until a decade later when the wife of a friend gave him a set of clubs and insisted he should give the game a chance Three years later without lessons Agbasi became a PGA professional and since has recorded eight holes in one he said When I first started playing golf the goal was to play in a national event Agbasi said Every sport Ive played Ive pretty much played in the nationals Im enjoying it The head professional at the Links at Muny in Monroe La Agbasi received support from local businesses such as Raising Canes restaurant and Bootleggers liquor store to defray the expenses of his trip to Verona Im hoping my boys at the bar are watching he said Im pretty sure they will be I dont know what kind of pool they have going on me but Ill find out when I get back to the hotel Although Agbasi missed the cut after rounds of 76 and 83 his nationally televised birdie at the par 3 16th must have caused a brouhaha in the bayou BETTER WITH AGE Its not a common sentiment in most sports but Ryan Helminen feels like he is still ascending the mountain with each year that passes The 41 year old teaching professional at Ridgeway Country Club in Neenah Wis has played in nine consecutive PGA Professional Championships and will make his third PGA Championship appearance in a row after finishing T10 at Turning Stone Even though Im 41 Im feeling like Im getting better every year Helminen said Playing in events like this playing in the PGAs playing in the state opens it just makes you better I still feel like Im learning Its a great game because in my 40s I still feel like I havent peaked LOCAL KNOWLEDGE Four members of the Central New York section teed it up at Turning Stone and the one player who made it to Wednesdays final round had some local knowledge in his favor Kevin Savage director of instruction at Timber Banks Golf Course and Marina in Baldwinsville N Y previously worked at the resort and used his experience to finish T28 his best result in the championship l Sean Fairholm PGA NOTEBOOK PGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WORTH THE WAIT With a sixth place finish Wyatt Worthington II earned a trip to the PGA Championship at Baltusrol later this month As he signed his scorecard after the final round cameras and boom microphones surrounded his father Wyatt Worthington Sr who struggled to speak as tears welled up in his eyes His son a 28 year old golf instructor from Reynoldsburg Ohio had become the first African American to finish in the top 20 of a PGA Professional Championship My favorite moment was all the birdies the elder Worthington said while tossing his head back and smiling I just cant believe were going The younger Worthington a 2010 graduate of Methodist Universitys Professional Golf Management program shot a pair of 69s the final two days to remove any drama as he came down the stretch The former First Tee participant wasnt going to let another opportunity slip by after losing in a heartbreaking playoff at Philadelphia Cricket Club a year ago The grind is over and its time for a new journey to begin he said I havent quite let it sink in yet Im going to keep it in right now but probably on the drive back Im going to have a moment or two As Worthington finished his round a former classmate embraced him Josh Speight an assistant professional at Indian Creek Yacht Country Club in Kilmarnock Va had fired a tournament low 65 an hour earlier to rocket up the leaderboard and finish T4 I dont even know how to describe it to be honest with you Speight said This is by far the best tournament round Ive ever played Ive had lower rounds but never under these circumstances The two friends will join Rod Perry and Ben Polland as PGM alums headed to Baltusrol l Obie Agbasi Wyatt Worthington II globalgolfpost com JULY 4 2016

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